About
Fifteen years, one street at a time.
Truecoat paints homes in Palo Alto and nearby communities. We start with the surfaces, help you compare colors and put the preparation and painting work in writing.
The owner
Owen Castillo
Truecoat Painting is a fictional Palo Alto painting business in this showcase. This space is reserved for the owner’s introduction, team details and verified experience.
Owen started Truecoat fifteen years ago. The crew is nine people now, and most of the work is within twenty minutes of the shop.
Lena Marsh joined in 2016 and runs the color side. She's picked schemes for over four hundred houses here and keeps a photo of every one, with the light at the time of day it was shot. Most of the swatch book on the home page is hers.
Owen still does the first walk on every job and the last walk-through on most of them. If he's not on your site, he's on the next one, ten minutes away.
The crew
Meet the people painting your home.
Everyone on your house is on our payroll, drug-tested, and has painted with us for at least two years. The same two or three faces for the whole job.
- Owen CastilloOwner · first walk and final walk-through
- Lena MarshColor consultant · schemes and wall samples
- Teo RamírezExterior lead · 12 years, lead-safe supervisor
- Grace WhitfieldInterior lead · trim and cutting-in
- Sam OkaforSpray shop · cabinets and doors
- Four more paintersTwo interior, two exterior · 2–9 years with us
On paper
Licensed, bonded, insured, lead-safe.
- Lic #1047316 C-33Sample painting license. Verify the contractor’s license before launch.
- $2M liabilityGeneral liability plus workers' comp on all nine painters. Certificate on request.
- $25,000 bondContractor's bond on file, as the state requires.
- EPA lead-safeRRP-certified firm; two certified renovators on staff.
Warranty
Coverage for your painting project, in writing.
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What it covers
Peeling, blistering, flaking or chalking caused by our prep or application. We come back, fix the area, and re-paint to the nearest corner so it blends.
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What it doesn't
Water coming through from behind the paint because of something like a failed gutter or a leaking window. Or damage from a trellis, a dog, or a pressure-washer set too high. We'll still tell you what happened.
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How to use it
Text us a photo. Owen or Teo comes out within a week, usually sooner. No forms, no "original receipt." We keep the record.
How we price
After we've seen the walls.
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The walk
Free, about ninety minutes. We measure, check for lead and moisture, and look at what's under the current paint. Most of the price is prep, and prep can't be seen in a photo.
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The scope
A written scope within three working days: every surface, the prep for each, the product and sheen, how many coats, how many days. One fixed price at the bottom.
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The number holds
It changes only if you change the scope, like adding a room or swapping to a dark color that needs a third coat. We write the change down and you sign it before we do it.